


The Primal Source Tasks

by Betery



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Harrow is a good Dad, gather around for tale of Xadia, story time, young Ezran, young callum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-10-30 04:22:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17821817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Betery/pseuds/Betery
Summary: A thunderstorm is keeping Callum awake and so he reluctantly seeks comfort in his step-father, King Harrow. King Harrow decides to tell Callum a story, an ancient story from Xadia.





	The Primal Source Tasks

**Author's Note:**

> Hullo, all! I wrote this story ages ago. But at the mention of season 2 dropping, I thought I'd post it here! More notes will be below!

Sleep was normally easy for Callum to reach, he could bask in it for ages and sleep through almost anything. Tonight sleep was far away from reach as rain pounded against his glass window and the roof of the castle, thunder cracked outside like a dragon roar and lighting pierced its way from sky to earth like a war.

Callum knew all too well that it was very possible that it could be the dragon king getting closer and closer to Katolis.

He wanted his mom, but she wasn’t there anymore, and he was in a castle and his new father was the king and it wasn’t like he could just get up and go to him. He was the KING. Callum sat up in bed and scrubbed at his eyes looked at the door across from his. Ezran was _sound_ asleep so why couldn’t he?

Maybe it was because Ezran was younger. Maybe it was because Soren teased Callum earlier that dragon kings ate false prince’s but either way, Callum was awake and Ezran wasn’t.

When Callum became King Harrow’s son he remembered at the wedding reception being taken to the side. Harrow had kneeled before him and placed a hand on Callum’s shoulder, it was heavy and warm just like his smile, “Callum, I want you to know that from here forth if there is _anything_ you need, you can come to me. Just because I’m not your birth father doesn’t negate the role model I want to be for you. Do you promise to come to me if you need to?”

Callum at the time had nodded and received a pat on the shoulder but he hadn’t actually meant to follow _through._ Kings were busy after all.

This time felt different. Always before when he was scared or needed help he went to his mom, and it had been two whole moons since her funeral so Callum had thought everything was gonna be okay that he was grown up and didn’t need comfort like that anymore. But he flinched when the thunder struck again and he shuffled his way out of the room after slipping into his shoes.

The walk wasn’t a long one, but it felt like it was a lifetime. The door was a deep oak and heavy. So.. even if he knocked King Harrow may not be able to hear him. He swallowed his heart back to his chest and raised a trembling hand to knock on the door.

He was just about to muster the courage to turn around to sleep when the door opened, Harrow first looking above Callum’s head perhaps expecting an adult with more important things but his eyes looked to Callum and that spark of kingly-ness softened.

“Callum,” He greeted, stepping back into his room, “Can’t sleep I take it.”

Callum shook his head and entered the King’s (once his mother’s too he reminded himself) chambers and looked around. Candles were burning and they were low and wax was pooling around them like they had been burning for a long while. Callum looked back at King Harrow, and he was still fully dressed, his crown was off his head but it seemed he hadn’t planned on sleeping for any time soon.

“No.” Callum said, “I mean, No, I can’t sleep but-but it looks like you can’t sleep either.”

King Harrow nodded and walked over to his bed, and sat on it, patting a place beside him.

“Want to talk about it?”

Callum shrugged and jumped at the next crack of thunder and he hurried over to sit on the bed. King Harrow looked him over carefully, thoughtfully as he stroked his chin, “The storm is bothering you.”

He nodded, feeling caught and small, “Is- is there a difference between a dragon’s roar and a clap of thunder?” His voice was soft, and he clutched at his nightshirt. Because if there _wasn’t_ a difference then it’s possible that the dragon king COULD be coming after him….

King Harrow wrapped an arm around Callum and brought him close, “There is a subtle difference.” King Harrow soothed and rubbed his hand up and down Callum’s arm. “Close your eyes and listen for the next thunder strike.”

He did as he was told and he listened close, the next thunderclap came and he flinched, King Harrow holding him close, “A dragons roar has rumbling behind it, one you can feel in your chest, it’s subtle and low, but there just something about it that gives it away. Did you hear it?”

Callum shook his head, “It was…rumbly, but it sounded less. Like there was nothing behind it.” Like it wasn’t being created, it was just caused.

King Harrow smiled encouragingly, “Very good. I didn’t hear anything to worry about either. Do you feel better?”

Callum shrugged, his exhaustion seeping back in, and he couldn’t help but lean into the king, “A little. I don’t think I could sleep though.”

The king hummed in return at that and kept rubbing at Callum’s arm. “How about a story? To get your mind off things?”

Would he really? He remembered his mom telling him stories, he remembered her stroking his hair and kissing his forehead when she was done. It would be nice to… have that again, so Callum nods, and King Harrow smiles.

“Let’s get more comfortable then.”

They shifted positions so they were sitting fully on the bed with King Harrow and Callum close to his side. Harrow hummed in through and scratched at his neck in thought and looked over at Callum.

“This tale is ancient. Older than the kingdom of Katolis even. It’s about a human princess from a long forgotten kingdom in Xadia, when humans were still learning about the world and hadn’t been cast to the other side of the country. It was where magic was everywhere.”

King Harrow's voice was low and rumbling, his chest vibrated as he spoke and Callum drank every word.

“The princess's name,” King Harrow shared, “Was Helena, and she made it a mission to make her father see that magic was beautiful and wanted a husband who could teach him that.”

-

Long ago when men were new they stumbled to make their own kingdoms like the already conceived eleven kingdoms and the ancient dragon kingdoms around them, they were much smaller with less influence but the elves and dragons saw it as a way for the human to stretch out their reach and grow.

One such small kingdom was on the edge of the coast, and the king that ruled it was a hard believer in man’s work on the land, that magic was a frivolous luxury and it could not be used within his walls as such.

Men would carve the fertile land inland with tools and animals to grow food. Architects and carvers would use their tools with no enhanced metals and blacksmiths were to have no interaction with any magical properties from their elven neighbors.

Helena, his one and only child believed in magic her whole life. She saw it in the skies when it stormed, in the oceans as the tides were pushed and pulled by the moon in the earth as it grew their crops and flowers and the sun as it made its cycles every day.

She wanted to know more about magic, but her father refused. Any inquiry or study was squashed and outright forbidden.

Helena came to age to be married, and the king sent for all the suitors in the surrounding kingdom, lords and dukes. Stuffy landlords and the like, but one after the other after the other she refused them all.

‘ _What will get you to Marry?’_ The king begged one afternoon after yet another rejected suitor, _‘I do not wish my only daughter to wither away alone. I do not wish my Kingdom to crumble into dust from a lack of heir’s.’_

“He’s mean,” Callum interrupted and King Harrow quirked an eyebrow at Callum who flushed and looked away. “Sorry.”

King Harrow chuckled but continued, _‘I do not wish to disappoint you.’_ Helena stated, _‘My husband must be good for our kingdom. They must prove to me they are worthy. Then I will marry them.’_

 _‘But how can you find out if they are worthy if you do not even give them a chance.’_ The king stressed and Helena thought over the statement. Her face blank of all emotion, her stand befitting of a princess of her stature even as she stood up to her own father.

_‘I will give them a series of tasks. My perfect husband, who is true to himself and to me, will be able to complete them. These are not impossible tasks. But I will only marry the one who can complete them all.’_

The king conceded, relieved at last that his daughter may finally have a husband and called for the next suitor to enter. When the suitor entered, the king deferred to his daughter.

_‘To be my true love, my husband in this life and the next, you will bring me a storm as large as you can but bring it to me in the palm of your hand.’_

The suitor was confused and dismissed, and for the rest of the suitors came and went given the same prompt. To even get a foot in the door as it were, they had to bring her a storm that they could hold in the palm of their hand.

Man, after Man brought trinkets, sculptures, glass orbs full cotton and water. She refused them all. This time she would not budge. If no suitor could complete the task she would not marry.

A full moon had come and gone and the King began to despair, but a young man was announced, a young man that the king did not know, but the herald confirmed his reason for being there was to complete the given task.

The king shocked bid the boy inside and he entered, his robes were golen and embroidered with runes the king could not recognize and his hood was up, hiding his face.

 _‘I have come with what was asked for.’_ He announced and the princess sat up straighter, a smile pulling at her lips.

 _‘Then show us.’_ She challenged, ‘ _Show me the storm you can hold.’_

The mystery suitor reached into his bag, and revealed an orb, within the orb was a raging storm of lighting and wind, boiling clouds roiled inside and he held it up for all to see. The princess smiled her eyes squinted just so in pleasure, and held out a hand.

The robed figure walked forward and held out the offering for Helena to take, and she did so, after of course she stood up before the court and walked down to the level of this new person.

 _‘It’s perfect in every detail.’_ Helena praised, ‘ _But if you want to prove you are my true love I will need much more than this.’_

 _‘Then what more do you recquire?’_ The robed figure asks, he sounded pleased to the surprise of the court. Whispers permeated in the hall and Helena held her free hand up to silence them.

 _‘Bring me a star,”_ She commands, _‘That’s crystal and clear. Bring it to me the size of a tear.’_

 _‘As you wish.’_ He bowed no complaint in his stature. When he straightened he turned to go on his way but the king stood, halting the suitor who had somehow completed his daughters task.

 _‘Reveal yourself,’_ he demanded ‘, S _o that we may welcome you better on your next return!’_

The figure turned back to face the king every detail about him shrouded in shadow or beneath his cloak. ‘ _I will reveal myself when I have proven my worth for her hand.’_ And the man exited the castle.

“So what do you think so far Callum?” There was silence, “Callum?” He turned to his son and saw the young boy sleeping by his side. King Harrow smiled and pet his hair, “Have pleasant dreams, Callum, we can continue the story another time.”

  --

Callum woke up warm and slowly at first not sure where he was. When he sat up he looked around and found his stepfather sitting in the _chair_ beside him asleep. Flushed from head to toe in shame, he made his quick getaway and tried to forget that the whole thing had happened.

But what about the rest of the story? Who was the robes man? How did he get a storm to fit in his hand? Callum even started doodling in his sketchbook the details that King Harrow had told Callum last night.

“What’s that?” Ezran asked, peaking over callum’s shoulder.

“Uh…characters. From a story.”

Ezran perked, “What story?”

Callum shrugged, “About a princess. A princess who wants like... impossible things, magical things really.”

“But why?”

Callum sighs, “Well I don’t know the whole thing….but I’ll tell you what I know.”

Ezran slotted himself next to Callum who retold the whole story, or at least what he could remember. The magicless kingdom in Xadia, Helena wanting her father to learn and know magic. Even the mysterious robed figure who seemed interested in the tasks.

“But who is he?” Ezran asked in the end, hugging Bait close nearly vibrating with excitement. “He’s gotta be a mage!! But where is he from? What’s he like? Will he alone be able to marry Helena? What if she actually asks him something too big for even a mage to do?”

Callum laughed and nudged Ezran to get him to quit, “I dunno. King Harrow was telling me the story last night.”

“Then we gotta ask him for the rest of the story!”

“Oh, I dunno Ezran…”

“Oh, come _on_ Callum!” Ezran pushed and shook Callum, “Don’t you wanna know?”

“I mean, of course  I do-“

“Dad won’t mind if we ask him. He can tell the rest to us before we go to bed!” Ezran was up and away before Callum could stop him but he just shook it off. If Ezran wanted to get King Harrow involved it wasn’t his problem.

Night time came and Callum was dressed for bed. He looked out his window checking for thunder clouds, but the sky was clear not even a puff white one to be seen. Callum sighed in relief and started to settle into bed when the door opened to Ezran holding King Harrow’s hand.

“So Callum told me the part you told him and I _have_ to know the rest of it dad, _pleeeaaasee?”_ And King Harrow chuckled patting Ezran on the back and nodded.

“Of course I’d love to tell you the rest of the story. Go get yourself ready for bed now.” And Ezran was off to the races to get into his pajama’s.

King Harrow looked over at Callum and quirked his lips a bit in a teasing smile and Callum laughed, shrugging a bit, sitting back in the bed. King Harrow brought a chair to Callum’s bedside.

“Ezran is really excited. I sure hope I won’t disappoint him.”

“You won’t.” Callum assures, smiling a bit, “You’re a good story teller.”

King Harrow smiled a bit wider at that and nodded in thanks, Ezran came in and settled next to Callum. Bait close behind.

“Alright.” King Harrow started, “Where was I?”

“Robed guy was sent to get a star the size of a tear.” Callum helped and King Harrow nodded.

 _“_ Our mysterious suitor left for many months on his task and the king sent out spies to gather information and updates on this man and it was assured to him that the robed figure was on a journey to get the item. In fact, on the first full moon on the second leg of his journey, he sent a letter to the Princess, addressed for her eyes only. The king was suspicious at this but allowed the contact for as long as Helena remained interested, the more joy it brought to the castle in hopes of continuing the royal line.

Princess Helena enjoyed hearing the exploits of her suitor, the places he went to the rituals he studied just for her to ensure that he could get what her heart desired. To prove himself to her.

She wrote to him of her daily exploits though not at glamorous.

Four moons has passed, and finally, he returned, and he looked just a regal as he has the last time, the morning sun was just beginning to rise and everyone had just finished their first meal.

 _“Beloved,”_ he began, and from a bag dark as the night he removed a shinning object, _“Your star.”_

 _“Very well done,”_ The princess praised, and gently took the tear drop star in her hand, feeling the warmth of it. _“But two tasks are hardly enough to gauge your devotion to me. Bring me a dagger,”_ She commanded _, “Infused with the sun, and bring it to me before day is done.”_

The king blustered from his seat, and was about to interject to the suitor, but the young man bowed and simple said, _“As you wish, beloved.”_ And backed out of the room.

_“Now see here!” The king scolded his daughter, “This suitor of yours has completed two of your impossible tasks and you’ve just tasked him another! This small storm and even smaller star MUST show more than enough devotion and proves to me that he is more than a worthy enough man to be your husband. When he returns you’ll accept his gift and accept his hand.”_

“wait wait Wait.” Ezran cut in, bait making grupping sound too, “Who’s the robed figure? How did he get the star to be so small? Is it even a star?”

King Harrow chuckled and reached out to Ezran ruffling his hair, “Hush Ezran or you’ll make your head spin with too many questions. The suitor to Helena did manage to make the star as small as a tear, but you don’t get to find out who he is till the _end_ of the story.”

“Fine…”

“As I was saying,

The king commanded his daughter to stop with theses frivolities and Helena stood firm _._

 _“There are qualities, my King, that I desire in my spouse that only my tasks can ensure. My true husband can and will complete them.”_ She ensures and retires to her chambers.

The king could not stand for this and he bid one of his servants to follow and find the suitor, and relay to him an apology and promise of great reward aside from marrying his daughter for completing these tasks.

So the servant went, and he was young and spry and quickly was able to follow the footsteps of this mystery suitor. He asked about the kingdom for the whereabouts of the a robed man. Luckily a merchant pointed him to the sea, near the lighthouse.

So the servant went and saw a fisherman with his catch for the morning, and the servant asked the fisherman if he had perhaps seen a man in a red and golden robe the fisherman too pointed him to the lighthouse. And so the servant went.

Atop of this grand lighthouse, the servant prepared his casting of the sun infused dagger, and the servant came to let him know of the kings offer. The suitor would accept no boon other than to marry the princess, _“I consider these tasks enough for the hand of Helena. I will complete all that is asked of me, return to your king and tell him there is no ill will between us.”_

And he bid the servant to return of the kingdom with the dagger by sundown.

So sundown came, and with it, the dagger, in a sheath that the Princess Helena took with a small smile. The star resting in the hollow of her throat, and the storm resting on a pedestal at her side.

And for over a year, these tasks continued, and for a year he brought them.

Bring me a stone that shines like the moon, state me your love with a moonelven rune.

Bring me a token from deep in the earth, one that shares endless tales of its worth.

Bring me the song from the ocean below, found in the tide and rivers that flow.

All over the kingdom, these phrases were known and children even started playing their games with the tasks from the princess. Everyone was all wanting with baited breath to know how the tasks were coming and just who the suitor that could complete these impossible tasks was.

The day finally came, the suitor clad in his cloak brought the song, a clam that shined and sang a tune not repeatable by human mouths. He brought a stone that was silver and glimmered with his truth with an elven rune carved into it, and the token from the earth? A different stone at large as his hand scortched and layered with a myriad of stones. It gleamed in golden light. Even fleks of gold appeared to be imbued in the layers.

Pleased the princess accepted all of these gifts. The king was weary but happy.

 _‘Now good sir.’_ The King invited, _‘May we now see what you have not let us see?’_

The hooded man nodded and bowed. When he lifted himself he lifted the hood revealing dark brown hair with a hue of red and tanned skin, skin that looked kissed by the sun, his ears were pointed and markings glowed on his skin.

 _‘If it pleases your highness’_ the now unmistakable sun-elf spoke, _‘Would you allow an elf from the Sun tribe to marry your daughter?’_

There was silence in the court and the king pressed his lips together, chewing on the thought.

 _‘You are the only man who has managed by daughter’s impossible tasks.’_ He announced _, ‘I see no reason not to allow the marriage.’_

Trumpets sang and bells tolled the announcement spreading among the kingdom. Princess Helena was to be wed…to a Sun elf.”

King Harrow looked to his boys to gauge his reaction, Ezran was sleeping drooling slightly on Callum’s shoulder and Callum’s eyes were wide.

“And this story… it’s true?” He whispered.

“Of course,” King Harrow teased, “Would I tell you a lie?” Callum blinked slowly.

“I dunno…but if…there were some humans liked by the elves. Why were we chased away?”

“That, my son.” King Harrow soothed, tucking his boys into bed. “Is a story for another day.”

**Author's Note:**

> What did you all think? I don't know if this would interest any of you but I took inspiration from a song called 'Scarborough Fair' and the legend of Princess Kaguya, if a bit loosely. Remember to comment and kudos! See you all next time .:)


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